Lady Christian Bruce

Kildrummy Castle, Defended
by Lady Christian Bruce in 1335

Lady Christian Bruce (sometimes referred to as "Christina"), lived
from 1273 to 1357. An older sister of Robert the Bruce and
Edward Bruce, she played an active part in the
Wars of Independence against the English. The wider picture in Scotland at the
time is set out in our Historical Timeline.

Christian married her first husband, Gartnait, Earl of Mar, in about
1295. He seems to have died some time after 1300, and Christian married Sir
Christopher Seton. The Wars of Independence were viciously fought, and
following the defeat of Robert the
Bruce in 1306 Lady Christina was captured by the English at
Tain while fleeing to safety in
Orkney. Other female relatives
captured at the same time were imprisoned in cages, and her husband and two of
her brothers were executed. Lady Christina herself was imprisoned at the
Gilbertine nunnery at Sixhills in Lincolnshire, where she would stay until
after Robert the Bruce's victory at
the Battle of Bannockburn
in 1314.

Some time later, Christian married her third husband,
Sir Andrew Murray. Sir Andrew was
appointed Guardian of Scotland after the death of
Robert the Bruce in 1329 and played a
leading role in the 2nd War of Independence against
Edward III of England, who wanted to
place Edward Balliol on the
Scottish throne. In 1335, English forces under David de Strathbogie, Earl of
Atholl, besieged Kildrummy Castle in
Aberdeenshire. The
defenders were commanded by Lady Christina Bruce, who held out until forces
commanded by Sir Andrew Murray could
march north and defeat David de Strathbogie at the Battle of Culblean on 30
November 1335.

Lady Christian continued to play an important role in Scottish
politics until her death in 1357 at the age of 84. She had two children with
Gartnait, Earl of Mar, and two more with Sir Andrew Murray.